I Face The Consequences

As I had suspected, we were back in the school building for about three minutes before we were called to the office. I sort of knew what was coming from our talk with the counselors, but Harper apparently had less experience at getting in trouble. Not that I was a troublemaking kid, it just seemed that I was in the wrong place at the wrong time. It hadn't been a problem this year, but in middle school I'd find myself at the main office every other week. What usually would happen is I would see someone getting picked on and I'd do something about it. The problem was that I would somehow always be the one in the wrong. I would react physically to the situation and end up hurting the bully more than the bully hurt its original victim. Eventually I learned a better way to deal with stuff like that, and it had kept me out of detention for a good two or three years. But here I was now, walking to the office.

"Hey, don't worry about it," I told Harper, who was walking beside me with her face down and her fingers twitching nervously. I didn't know if there was anything I could say to make her less nervous, but I figured I'd better try my best. "It'll be fine. We'll just go and clear everything up with them."

She looked at me and attempted a halfhearted smile, but I knew that she was still worried.

"You did the right thing, you know," I said to her. I waited her to look over at me again before I continued. "I mean that was really brave. Not many people have the courage to stand up to someone like Chance like that."

"Yeah well, I couldn't just let him hurt my friend like that," Harper gave a real smile and I smiled too. We walked the rest of the way to the office with her in a noticeably brighter mood. She was still twitching her fingers but she seemed to be looking at the situation more positively, so I guessed I'd done my part. Now we just had to wait for the outcome.

We got to the office and the talk went pretty much exactly as I'd expected. We got told off for a good ten minutes before we even got to give our side of the story. I did most of the talking at first, but once it got to Harper's part in the story she seemed more than happy to take it from there. My plan was to tell everything like it was less of a big deal than it actually was, but Harper didn't seem to want to hold anything back. She told everything pretty much exactly how it had happened. When all was said and done, Harper ended up getting two weeks of detention. It was better than a suspension, but I didn't think it was fair seeing that I'd heard that Chance had gotten away with just a week's worth. I was let off the hook without punishment, but I was given a warning about what would happen the next time I provoked a fight at school. But that was fine, because I had no plans of participating in or 'provoking' any more fights.

By the time we got out of the office, it was the end of the day and time for basketball practice. I walked Harper out to the front of the school, but that was as far as I went. I said goodbye to her and made my way to the gym to change clothes and get ready for practice to start. Once I'd changed, I grabbed a ball and made my way over to one of the baskets to warm up when Maia ran up to me, looking concerned.

"What's up?" I asked her.

"I heard about the fight today," she said. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," I replied.

"Oh, okay good. Well, Coach Hendrix needs to see you in his office."

"Well, I won't keep him waiting," I said, passing the ball in my hands to someone lacking one and walking into the coach's office.

When I entered the office, Coach Hendrix was sitting at his desk per usual, staring intently at something on his computer.

"What's up, Coach?" I asked him.

"Oh, you're here. Sit down, Blake."

"Am I in trouble or something?" I asked while getting comfortable in my seat. I had noticed his grim tone of voice and I didn't like it.

"So I heard about the little fight today between you and Chance. I'm sure you're aware that the basketball program here does not condone the actions that took place between you two."

"No, of course not," I replied.

"Well I've already had Chance and a witness of what happened give me their sides of the story, so I think I have a good idea of how this fight went down. Judging by your nose Chance obviously got some hits of you, and judging by Chance's injuries you obviously got some on him. I've also been told that you initiated and also struck first."

"No—"

"Don't interrupt," said the coach. "Now, I don't think you're a bad kid, Blake. But here's the thing. I can't have someone who just started a fight as a starter on my team."

"But I didn't—"

"Don't," interrupted the coach. "Don't make me repeat myself. That'll only make things worse for you. I'm not kicking you or Chance off the team, though neither of you will play in tomorrow's game. I'm going to be putting Finn in as the starting shooting guard for now, and we'll see how things go from there."

I didn't say anything. There was nothing I could say. Chance had told the coach that I was responsible for the fight, and someone had backed him up on it. Someone that was there to see what happened. I wasn't old enough to gamble, but if I could I would put all my chips on Nathan. It was no secret that Nathan thought I was outshining him, and so when he saw a chance to get me out of the spotlight, he probably took it instantly.

"Yes sir," I said finally.

"Good," Hendrix said. "Now I'm going to say to you the same thing I said to Chance. Go home and skip this practice as well the rest of the practices and games this week. Take some time for yourself. Then come back for next Tuesday's game ready to play. Sound good?"

"Yes sir," I said, and Coach Hendrix dismissed me from the office. I went to grab my bag from the bleachers and then walked out the gym doors with my head hung.

I walked the whole way home depressed. I'd been framed by one of my old friends for something that I didn't do. There was no way that the coach would believe my story over to Chance and Nathan's, even if I did bring someone else in to back me up. So what was I going to do? Take the punishment? I hadn't been kicked off the team and Coach Hendrix had said that I could get my old spot back, but what were the chances of that? He'd just give the starting spot to Chance since he thought I'd started the fight. So there was nothing I could do about it. There was nobody to blame except circumstance... and Chance and Nathan.

"Home early today?"

I had only just cracked my front door open when my dad's voice met me. I walked in and was headed toward the stairs to avoid him, but when I saw him I knew he meant business. I sighed and resigned to sitting down across from him in a chair.

"Actually no, I guess you're home at the normal time for once," my dad said, and I knew this was going to be a long talk. "Because I told you no more basketball, remember?"

"Yeah I remember," I said.

"And yet this is the first school day that you've been home on time, isn't it?"

"Look, I—"

"Isn't it?" he interrupted.

"Yes, it is," I muttered.

"And I know I've been over why you can't play basketball, right?"

"Yes."

My dad raised his eyebrows at me.

"Yes sir."

"Better. Now here's the deal. I am going to be here tomorrow at four o'clock, and if you are not here, I will call the school and get you off the team myself. Sound good?"

"Do you know the school's phone number?" I asked, wondering how genuine the threat actually was.

"Oh, I'll find a way to get it. I said, does it sound good?"

"Sounds great," I replied.

I waited for my dad to say something more but he had become fully engrossed in the football game he was watching, which signaled that the conversation was officially over. That was fine with me. I doubted dinner was ready yet so I decided to just go upstairs and work things out in my room. I peeked in Liv's room to say 'hi' before entering my room and collapsing on my bed. Otis, who had been keeping Liv company in her room, crossed the hall to my room and jumped on the bed to curl up beside me.

"Hey buddy," I said to him as I stared up at the ceiling. "What am I going to do? I mean, I'm not going to the game tomorrow anyway, so that's not a problem. But what about next week? Maybe I should just quit the team. I guess it just seems like some supernatural force is not wanting me to play basketball this year, huh?"

Otis just snorted in response and rubbed his head against my leg. I scratched his belly affectionately.

"So," Liv swung herself into my room without warning and jumped on my bed, scaring Otis off, "what were you and Dad talking about?"

"Nothing," I replied shortly, not wanting to get into it.

"Come on..." pouted Liv, bouncing up and down on my mattress hyperactively.

"He just wants me to quit the basketball team is all," I admitted. I had learned that keeping things from Liv would prove to be more annoying than just telling her.

"Oh, well you can't do that," Liv resolved simply.

"Dad seems to think I can and I should," I replied. "Maybe he's right. And now would be a good time for me to back out anyway."

Liv thought about this for a second. "Nah," she decided. "You love basketball. You shouldn't just quit."

"It's not that simple," I said.

"So explain it to me," replied Liv.

"Well it's—never mind."

"Hmm," she said. "So either I'm too young to understand or I'm right."

I thought about this. Was it really that simple? Maybe I was complicating it too much. If I wanted to play basketball, then I'd play basketball. I had to focus on one main thing, and just hope that all the other things would work themselves out.

"Well then I guess you're right," I told her. "Thanks Liv."

"Anytime," she said and confidently spun around and walked back to her room.

I had so many people giving me great advice and yet I still always found myself in the toughest situations. I was off the team for a week, and that would have to be long enough to convince my dad that I had quit for good. After a day or two, he'd probably stop getting home at four o'clock just to make sure I was there. And once next week came around I would be ready to prove myself again. I guess it didn't really matter how much I got knocked down, as long as I kept getting back up. I was planning on getting back up, too. Every single time until I reach my goal.